During a recent trip to the Amazon rainforest and the city of Iquitos in northeastern Peru, I visited the Historical Ship Museum "1906 Ayapua" located on the bank of the Itaya River, in front of the Plaza Ramón Castilla. The museum presents the history of the Peruvian Amazon and the ship’s operations during the rubber boom between 1879 and 1912.
In one of the display cabinets I was struck by a book opened on the first page showing the title "The Putumayo, the Devil's Paradise; Travels in the Peruvian Amazon Region and an Account of the Atrocities Committed Upon the Indians Therein". It’s an old book, most likely from the second edition published in 1913.
I thought it was a story that I should read. It motivated me to look for and acquire the book. It is a very interesting story, but difficult to read. Not because many of the expressions correspond to the style of written English in use at the beginning of the last century, but because several chapters describe in a very graphic and detailed manner the harsh treatment of the agents of the Peruvian Amazon Rubber Company (with participation of British capital and with headquarters in London), headed by the Peruvian businessman and politician Julio César Arana and the executioners who accompanied him and implemented the crimes against the Indians during the period of exploitation of rubber in the Amazon rainforest.
The initial chapters of the book describe the journey of the author, Walter E. Hardenburg, as he goes into the jungle to the places where the events occurred, the region of the Putumayo River, in the vicinity of the border with Colombia. The story allows understanding the conditions of life in the tropical forest, the complexities of travelling by canoe in virgin territory and the impressive abundance and diversity of flora and fauna in the jungle. The final chapters include interactions with company operators in the field and the tricks used by the bosses to delegate or personally execute the atrocious methods imposed on the Indians, mainly those belonging to the Huitoto ethnic group, but also to many other tribes, to achieve obedience and submission to the conditions of slavery to which they were subjected by the agents of the organization calling themselves "the civilizing company".
Also included in the final parts of the book are transcriptions of the statements given out by witnesses and participants in the abuses against the Indians which are part of the Report issued by the diplomat and British Foreign Office official Sir Roger Casement, who sought to verify and denounce the situation to the Peruvian and British authorities in order to stop the cruel operation of the rubber exploiting company. Witness’ statements describe, sometimes in too much detail, the horrible and inhuman actions of those in charge of the rubber camps over the Indians that show the incredible capacity of the human being for cruelty against humble, ignorant and defenseless Indians.